Talking Horses: today’s best bets and all the latest racing news

Kieren Fallon, pictured after after winning the 2,000 Guineas, will ride Ihtimal in the Oaks at Epsom. Photograph: Dan Abraham/racingfotos.com/REX

11.15am Fallon handed ride on Ihtimal in the Oaks

Tony Paley: The latest twist in the Godolphin jockeys story was revealed on Wednesday when it was announced that Kieren Fallon will take over from Silvestre de Sousa and ride the filly in the Oaks.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor told the Racing Post: “Ihtimal goes to the Oaks. She has been working really well and is in good form and ready to go. The ride is going to Kieren. Silvestre rode her at Newmarket, but Kieren knows the filly and we would like him to ride her.

“The situation is that it could sometimes be Kieren, sometimes Silvestre or another jockey, but it’s clear to everybody now. Everybody knows there is no number one jockey.”

Ihtimal is available around 7-1 for the Epsom Classic and jostling for the place as second favourite with Tarfasha, the market headed by Taghrooda at a general 7-4.

Fallon said: “Ihtimal is a beautiful filly with a great pedigree. I think the ground was a bit firm for her at Newmarket. I have ridden her work a few times in Dubai. She was very impressive in the Oaks in Dubai - the further she went, the further she went away. She will stay and it could be a great weekend.”

He added: “I like Epsom. It’s a place where there is a buzz and it helps you ride with confidence and when you are riding good horses you have to have that confidence.”

As far as Wednesday’s racing the best bets are on the all-weather. Frangipanni (4.30) can defy a 6lb rise at Lingfield for her handicap debut victory while, in similar circumstances, Lawmans Thunder (7.50), who reappears at Kempton, looks another runner ahead of the handicapper given the manner of his two most recent successes.

Tipping competition, day three

Our winners so far:

Monday

Another Wise Kid 5-1

Extremity 9-4

Sleepy Sioux 3-1

Tuesday

Thurayaaat 3-1

King Torus 25-1

Ladweb 3-1

And our leaders are:

erifder +20

kingklynch +20

Pappageno +20

... being the people who managed to find King Torus. Their nearest competition is ID5386281 on +7.25.

This week’s prize is four Premier tickets to Sandown for the year’s best evening meeting, the Brigadier Gerard Stakes on Thursday 29th May (next week). Granted good weather, it is one of the most purely enjoyable times you can have at the races. If you don’t win, you can buy tickets here. The first race will be 6.10pm. If you can’t use the tickets, do please say so and then we can pass the tickets elsewhere if you happen to win.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today but you will start on -6.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.